Odd face haunting mysterious deaths

The suspected serial killings of 40 young men nationwide have brought together two detectives in Rock Tavern, drowning experts in Hurley and a distraught family in Kingston.

BY PAUL BROOKS

The suspected serial killings of 40 young men nationwide have brought together two detectives in Rock Tavern, drowning experts in Hurley and a distraught family in Kingston.

The twisted visage of a smiley face links them all.

Retired New York City police Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte run their firm, National Investigations, out of Rock Tavern. Monday, the detectives shocked the country at a news conference in New York. They said they believe a group of people has killed at least 40 men in 25 cities across 11 states in recent years.

All of the victims were dumped in bodies of water. At 12 sites connected with the deaths, investigators found smiley faces, according to news reports.

Investigators have found nothing suspicious in most of the deaths. But Gannon and Duarte presented enough evidence to convince police in Minneapolis to reclassify the death of a student originally ruled an accident. Chris Jenkins was found floating faceup in the Mississippi River in 2003. His death is now considered a homicide.

"It did not make sense," said Andrea Zaferes of RipTide, an organization based in Hurley that studies drownings. Zaferes and her partner, Walter "Butch" Hendrick, have written and taught extensively on water safety and drownings.

"There is no test to say you drowned," Zaferes said. "Unfortunately, the majority of bodies found in water are assumed to have drowned since there is no other obvious cause of death."

Zaferes and Hendrick traveled to Minnesota twice. They used tennis balls and a weighted Simulaids mannequin to trace the path of Jenkins' body. It didn't happen the way police originally thought, the Riptide experts concluded.

"We believe 20 percent of the bodies found in water are actually homicides," Zaferes said.

"If 40 young men had been found in fields, this would not have taken so long for people to think there may be connections. These were found in water. That is why it has taken so long."

Michael Reilly of Kingston has followed the stories linking the smiley faces with the drownings. His 30-year-old son, David, disappeared Nov. 21 in Kingston, the day before Thanksgiving, after he was out drinking and had an argument with his girlfriend. David Reilly has not been seen since. Michael searched the Kingston waterfront recently, looking for a smiley face. He didn't find any.

Could the bizarre deaths be connected to his son's disappearance? "I hope not, but I don't know," he said. "I don't know."

Zaferes said officials need to set up a task force to study all the cases and potential links among them.

Hundreds of families who have lost their sons are going to be coming forward and demanding action, she said.